Marian Races Past No. 12 Shawnee State 101-57 in NAIA Round of 16

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - For the fifth consecutive season, the Marian women's basketball team has punched a berth to the NAIA Quarterfinals, as the Knights left no doubt on Friday night in their landslide 101-57 victory over 12-seed Shawnee State. Marian's big victory at the NAIA Tournament final site improves their record to 32-2 overall on the season. 

Marian made a statement early on Friday night, scoring on each of its first three possessions to build a 7-5 lead. Kiley McNally was the early catalyst with four of the first seven points, before soon turning the game over to her sister Abbey McNally and Kenna Kirby. The duo each scored four points in a 13-0 run that propelled Marian on top 18-5, as the Knights quickly built a double-digit lead in under four minutes of game time. Taylor Double and Madisyn Bailey each knocked down a three-pointer in the team's hot start, as all five starters scored in the first six minutes of play. 

Marian's hot start shot them in front 23-9, and the points continued to fall as Abbey McNally seven unanswered for the Knights. The McNally surge gave Marian a 27-11 edge, and in the last 81 seconds of the first quarter, Kirby and Bailey combined on a 7-0 run, giving Marian a commanding 34-15 lead after the first quarter. 

After the strong offensive first quarter, Marian's defense made an impact in the second quarter, as the Knights held Shawnee State to four points, marking another quarter on the season in which an opponent scored less than five points in a period. The Bears would score the first points in the period at the foul line, but Marian answered with an 8-0 run to carry the lead to 25 points. Shawnee would score with 5:09 to break up the run, but it would be the final points scored in the quarter by the Bears, as Marian clamped down on the defensive end. 

Leading 42-19, Marian ended the final five minutes as the half on a 12-0 run, as they held the Bears to a 0-7 mark from the field in the stretch. Abbey McNally continued her dominant play seven points in the run, as the Knights entered halftime with a commanding 54-19 lead.

The second half was more of the same from Marian, as their daunting defense made life difficult for the Bears, leading to the Knights winning each of the final two quarters and outscoring Shawnee State 48-38 in the final 20 minutes of the game. 

Kenna Kirby sparked a 6-0 run to open the third quarter that gave Marian its first 40-point lead of the night, while Kiley McNally exploded for seven points in the first five minutes of the half. Marian led by 36 points or more throughout the quarter, while a three-pointer from Taylor Double with 56 seconds to play in the period capped the scoring for the starters. Kennedy Coleman would bury a trey in the waning moments of the quarter, putting Marian in front 79-37 going into the fourth.

With the game at hand entering the fourth quarter, Marian rode the bench unit throughout the period, getting the quarter started with a basket from Emma Simpson. Aubrey Frank capitalized on the moment and scored all of her 12 points in the fourth quarter, including taking Marian over the century mark with a three-pointer in the final minute, as the Knights completed a commanding 101-57 victory over Shawnee State. 

11 of Marian's 12 players that played in the game scored one or more points, while five players finished the night in double figures. Abbey McNally paced the way with a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double, collecting her 20th 10-and-10-plus effort of the season in 21 minutes of game time. Kiley McNally and Kenna Kirby each scored 15 points in the win, and Aubrey Frank scored 12 points off the bench. Taylor Double finished the night with 10 points and three assists. Defensively, Marian forced Shawnee State into 24 turnovers and a 36 percent shooting effort from the field.